INTERVIEW: Actor, Host, Model, and Author, Garcelle Beauvais, on Her New Film ‘Coming 2 America,’ Podcast, ‘Going to Bed with Garcelle,’ Upcoming Memoir, RHOBH, and More

Garcelle Beauvais is the poster woman for doing it all and the pandemic has not slowed this talented actor, model, podcaster, co-host, producer, humanitarian, and mom down one bit.

Garcelle is living her best life and thriving. This powerhouse talent is appearing in Amazon Prime Studios’ sequel Coming 2 America, just launched the second season of her podcast, Going to Bed with Garcelle, landed a spot on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, co-hosts The Real, and has a new memoir on the horizon to add to her author status. She’s the true definition of a boss, juggling all of these roles while being a mother to 13-year-old twin boys and adding grandmother to her cap after the birth of her 28-year-old son’s child, Oliver. Let us know if you see it because we surely don’t; she is reinventing the title with her ageless beauty.

Emigrating from Haiti at the age of seven, Garcelle launched a decade-long modeling career at 17, which had her globetrotting and landing her first gig on Models, Inc. She went on to land one successful role after another such as The Jamie Foxx Show, NYPD Blue, Coming to America, Wild Wild West, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Netflix’s Merry Happy Whatever, and Tell Me a Story.

Coming 2 America is premiering March 5, after a 30-year gap from its prequel. It includes a star-studded cast with Eddie Murphy (King Akeem), Arsenio Hall (Semmi), Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, and Louie Anderson. It also features some serious ‘Black girl magic,’ including Garcelle as the reoccurring role as one of Akeem’s rose bearers that we all loved in the original film, in addition to Shari Headley, Kiki Layne, Garcelle Beauvais, and Teyana Taylor.

Beauvais is also a humanitarian supporting the Step Up Women’s Network, a national non-profit that empowers women and girls to be strong and reach their full potential. She is also involved with Angels for Humanity, an organization that helps children in Haiti through education and health based initiatives and recently went on a humanitarian trip with the organization to help feed over 3,500 children. She was also honored with the “Distinguished Humanitarian Award” at their 6^th Annual Catwalk for Charity in 2019.

Read on to find out what makes Garcelle such an inspiration to women everywhere, as she chats on Coming 2 America, her role on The Jamie Foxx Show, how she got her start in modeling, what being the first Black cast member on RHOBH meant to her and why her voice on BLM was so important to share with viewers and cast, as well as her advice on finding love during a pandemic and some of her favorite things. Be sure to watch our complete interview below or on Glitter Magazine’s YouTube.

GLITTER: You are thriving right now during this pandemic; everything from author, podcaster, actress, to host. Congratulations on so many accomplishments. I know you’ve been in the industry for quite some time, and we’ve seen you from The Jamie Foxx Show to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Coming 2 America. Can you tell us how you got your start in modeling and acting?  
GARCELLE: Sure, absolutely. I was around 15 or so. People started telling my mom, “She’s beautiful. She should model.” We didn’t know, you know, what that was, how you go about it, or anything like that. When we moved to Miami, a friend of mine was doing an orange juice commercial, and he said, “Do you want to be an extra?” I was like, “What’s an extra?” And we shot for two days on the beach in Miami and on the second day, I got the nerve to ask one of the leads of the commercial, this beautiful Black girl, and so I went up to her, and I said, “I want to do what you’re doing.” She was like “Girl, you’re on your own.” Right? (laughing) I found out what agency she was with, and I decided randomly, I was in Fort Lauderdale, that I was going to drive there and, you know, show up and see how do you do it? Can I get an appointment? How does it work? On my way there, I stopped at a red light, and I looked out the window to look at my makeup, and I decided I wanted to add more lip gloss. So as I’m reaching for my purse to get my lip gloss, a hand comes in the car and scares the hell out of me because I wasn’t expecting it. I’m the only one in the car. It was the lady who had stopped behind me at the stoplight. She hands me her card, and it was the actual agency I was on my way to go see without an appointment. So once that happened, I started modeling with them just for like a few months. Eileen Ford scouts the country looking for new talent, and she came to Fort Lauderdale, and she told my mom I should move to New York to begin my career and all I needed was a toothbrush; which was crazy. So I moved to New York at 17, living with Eileen Ford until the model’s apartment had a vacancy, and that’s how it all started.  

GLITTER: You and Jamie Foxx go way back. So what was it like to book The Jamie Foxx Show, and what were some of the highlights from that time?  
GARCELLE: You know, I didn’t really know “Jamie Foxx” Jamie Foxx. So, when I went for the audition, he actually saw me in the “Down Low” video; and that was when you could call in videos. He was like, “You don’t know how many times I requested that video.” (laughing) So when I got the job, I was just like surprised. I had never really done comedy. But I think what gave me a head up against the other girls is that I wasn’t trying to compete with him. My character was just there to support, you know, the laughs that he brings. It was the most amazing experience because I hadn’t done a sitcom, and I had just taken an improv class. So that improv class set me up to work with Jamie Foxx because we would rehearse during the week, but the minute they brought in the audience, he thrived on the energy of the audience so he would, you know, do improv. So if I hadn’t done that class, I don’t know if I would have been ready and open for him. I really feel like everything leads me to where I’m supposed to be. 

GLITTER: What are some of your fondest memories from booking the original role that you had in Coming to America?  
GARCELLE: Wow. Talk about being green. I was modeling in New York. I actually auditioned for the part of Lisa. I had no business doing that because I knew nothing and luckily, John Landis, the director, called my agency and said, “Listen, she’s not getting that part. But there are other parts that we need and if she really wants to get into film and television work, this would be a great experience for her.” I didn’t know “Hit your mark, action, rolling,” none of that. I didn’t know what it meant. So it was truly an experience that, at the time, I was just so happy to be learning and to be around, so many Black faces working on a movie. Right? And let alone with Eddie Murphy, it was just an experience, and it’s a gift that keeps on giving because 30 years later, here we are. It’s crazy.  

GLITTER: The new film has so many themes of female empowerment and ‘Black girl magic.’ What was it like to be a part of that representation? We had that in the original, but it’s like tenfold in this one. So what did that feel like for you?  
GARCELLE: First of all, I’m thrilled to be alive, to be in the sequel. So it’s great. I mean, any time where you can get a role that makes an impact on someone, I think the film has become nostalgic, historic, and any time you get a second chance at that. I mean, we were all so giddy on the set because we couldn’t believe we were having an opportunity to sort of relive it and the new cast brings their flavor. It’s just the old with the new you. 

GLITTER: The film is coming at a time when so many families need a feel-good movie, and it’s just so refreshing, you know, they’re going to get to see just such a wonderful family film. What do you hope viewers take away from that?  
GARCELLE: You know, I just want families to sit together because even though we’re spending a lot of time [together] because [we’re in] COVID times, I want families to sit, have fun, get your snacks, laugh together, look at each other for the parents who remember the original just to enjoy it and escape from everyday life. Life can be hard. The last year or so has been tough on so many levels for a lot of people and I think just the escapism and having a good time. I think it’s great. At first, I was a little bit like, “Dang, I’m sorry, we’re not going to be in theaters, I’m sorry, we’re not going to have a premiere.” But at the same time, I feel like a lot more people may see it now because they will see it from the comfort of their home.  

GLITTER: You’ve worked with some equally as great actors; Forest Whitaker, Eddie Murphy, Queen Latifah. What’s your secret to success and longevity in the industry?  
GARCELLE: I don’t give up. In an industry where you get a lot more rejections than you get a “yes,” I think for me, one, I’ve been able to diversify what I do. I think I’m not just an actor, and nowadays we can be so many things. We’re not boxed in anymore. So the fact that I’ve been able to write books and host television shows and produce has given me sort of the longitude and the boldness to do whatever it is that I want to do or want to create. So for me, I love what I do. I think when you’re an artist, you’re an artist in a lot of different areas, and I’ve been able to tap into that. Resilience is a big deal. I also think being an immigrant in the United States has given me the drive because the opportunities that my mom was able to give me by bringing me here do not go lightly with me. So I try to do as much as I can to prove, like, you know [that] we are worthy. Don’t give up on the immigrants. (smiling)

GLITTER: I know you get asked this quite a bit, but it meant so much for so many to see you representing on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as one of the first Black females on that show. Can you tell us what that meant to you, knowing that it meant so much to us? 
GARCELLE: It meant a lot, and I felt the pressure. It wasn’t until maybe a week before we started shooting that I was like panicked, and I called my girlfriend Nicole, and she had to talk me off the ledge because I’m like, “People are waiting to see [this].” What I really wanted at the end of the day was to be authentically myself. I didn’t want anybody to put a label on me like they do. A lot of times, we get “angry Black woman” or this and that. I really wanted to be myself. If somebody checks me, I will check you back. It’s not my norm just to come at people just for the sake of it. So it’s been an interesting balance of, you know, opening up my life to a certain extent, my kids, but at the same time, I feel like I’ve been able to keep my integrity, which is good. 

GLITTER: Filming overlapped the Black Lives Matter protests. Why was it important for you to share your story even briefly with the cast and the viewers? 
GARCELLE: My story, how I walk in life, is my history. So whenever anyone doesn’t understand or can’t have compassion, that’s because you don’t know where I’ve been. You haven’t walked in my shoes. So it’s really important for us to continue to have conversations. I want my kids to feel proud of being Black and know what we’re all about. I think George Floyd, COVID, quarantine all contributed to people being more woke now if you will. We always knew our plight, but now they know our plight and I think it’s turned a lot of people around, which is great. There’s still more movement we need to do. But I think it really took something like this for us to have compassion and go “Really is that how it’s been? I never noticed,” or, you know, “I would see things and I would look away.” I feel like people are having conversations now more than ever. So I am hopeful that we’re going in the right direction.  

GLITTER: Yes, a little bit of a fun question. You were bringing the smoldering looks from the hair to the fits, to the glam. Who are some of your favorite designers to wear? 
GARCELLE: You know, we all can name the big names but I also like paying homage to new people, like the fact that I use Jovana Louis Benoit, who’s a Haitian designer, for my reunion. Look, I really feel it’s important to sort of spread the love because there are new and upcoming people and, you know, from let’s say, oh, from Versace to Gucci to Zara to Target. That’s me all day, every day.  

GLITTER: Very nice. You stated that you are confirmed for the next season. Are you excited? Is there anything that you can tease?
GARCELLE: Hold on to your seats. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. We just wrapped season 11, and it’s a lot of what people expect, but also different, which is really cool. And we have a new housewife as well, she’s Asian. So a lot of newness and a lot of fun. We couldn’t do extravagant trips. So we went to Tahoe. We went to San Diego. (laughing) 

GLITTER: You made it work. (laughing) 
GARCELLE: It’s all real life, you know because we can’t get on a plane and do anything too extravagant right now.

GLITTER: I’ve heard many people say this before. It’s just something about you. You’re just so confident, and you have such a non-petty personality; which was so nice to see on this show. How do you let things just roll off your back? 
GARCELLE: You know, I think gratitude really. I mean, I wake up every morning, and I say thank you first, before anything. There are days obviously, that I’m frustrated or sad or lonely like everybody else. But I’m coming from gratitude. I know where I’ve been. I know where my family’s been and the fact that I get to live this life that I never even dreamt; it was too big for me to dream. That can get me emotional every time I say it because I feel it. So, therefore, listen, everybody can have a bad day, but we’re breathing. We’re healthy. That’s the most important thing.  

GLITTER:  You’ve co-hosted many shows in the past; how was it to be on The Real, and what’s that experience been like for you?  
GARCELLE: I love it. It’s my dream job. I’ve always been chatty. You can’t shut me up. So it’s always been on my bucket list, even before acting, and I would say it over the years to my agents and my team, and they’d be like, “What… you’re doing so great as an actor, why would you want to host?” And I can say, “Guys, trust me.” Finally, I get to do it on a daily basis. The women of The Real are just what they are. They’re real. They’re fun. We have great conversations. I feel like there isn’t another show that you get to see women of color, especially now, when our voices are really important, that we get to have the conversations that we get to do, and they pick on me. Loni calls me the model, which, you know, I’m more than just a model. Thank you very much, Loni. But we have a lot of fun, and we have really great guests. We had Kamala Harris on the show recently. We’ve had Malcolm X’s daughter, it’s been really, really awesome. And we have to do it from home, so I haven’t been able to hug the girls. We haven’t touched each other. We’ve just been rolling like everybody else. 

GLITTER: Your podcast, Going to Bed with Garcelle is fabulous, from your candidness to the banter to the celebrity guests; what do you enjoy most about podcasting and what can we look forward to in the next season?  
GARCELLE: You know, I had never really paid attention to podcasts. When we decided, my producing partner, Lisa Wilson, and I decided we wanted to do this as a show, and we sold the idea to MGM, and they were like, “You know what? We’re in quarantine. We can’t do anything; let’s do a podcast.” So I started listening to podcasts, and there’s something to it. We launched Going to Bed with Garcelle season one, and it was just pure fun and liberating. I have one celebrity, one real girlfriend, and we just take sex to another level. We talk about things that sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night like, “Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that.” But I think that’s the fun of it is just being able to be yourself when there are no cameras or microphones. We talk like that when we’re having cocktails with our girlfriends and vent or talk about relationships. So it’s great. We launched season two, February 18, and we have Robin Thicke as my first guest, and we have an amazing lineup coming up.  

GLITTER: So you discuss relationships quite a bit on the podcast. What advice do you have for anyone looking for love during COVID? Should they wait? Should they be creative?  
GARCELLE: I would say be creative. I really do. I say, you know, people now are having FaceTime dates. I had a FaceTime date a couple of months ago where we planned dinner, and I had a cocktail. He had whatever he was drinking. We actually talked, and you know, it’s sort of like the new norm. I don’t know if I’d go out and meet somebody randomly during this time unless they showed a COVID negative test and all that stuff. I think we’ve got to be creative a little bit because it’s never too late. Beverly Johnson just got engaged, I believe, 60. So there’s hope for all of us, though. 

GLITTER: Your new memoir is entitled, Finding My G Spot; what can readers expect? 
GARCELLE: (laughing) A little bit of everything. A little bit of my past. I talk about my father, which I don’t really delve into that too much. I think the lack of relationship with him has shaped the men that I’ve chosen in my life. It’s a little bit of everything. It’s inspiring and aspirational if you will. But it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a fun read.  

GLITTER: So many women are discouraged from reinventing themselves a lot of times due to ageism. What advice do you have for women? Because you are the poster woman for doing it all.
GARCELLE: I say don’t give up. It’s never, ever, ever too late to find your love, to find your career, to find yourself. I mean, you know, I’m always reading self-help books. I’m always trying to be a better person. There are days where I feel like I have to apologize to my kids for whether it’s my mood or whatever something that I’ve said. But I think it’s never too late. I mean, you know what, it’s late when you’re in that coffin; that’s when it’s late. Otherwise, keep moving. Keep striving; if you want to change your hair, if you want to change your look. I just think that we have to keep each other up and help motivate ourselves. I think it’s never, ever too late to be the new, you. 

GLITTER: OK, I have a couple of fun questions. What are your favorite beauty products? 
GARCELLE: Oh, I like basic stuff. I love Maybelline mascara. I really do. I use Epicurean cleansing products; what else do I love? BECCA Foundation. I’ve fallen in love. I used to be a Bobbi Brown person, but I love their foundation. The consistency. You can do a little or a lot. I love perfume. I say, you know, even though you’re wearing a mask, people can’t see you [but] I think a lasting perfume says a lot. They know when you’re coming. They know when you’re leaving. 

GLITTER: Do you have a workout routine at all? 
GARCELLE: I do pilates. I haven’t been good at it; I’m going to be completely honest, quarantine 15 is real. (laughing) I went to the doctor the other day. They’re like, “Can you get on the scale?” I said, “Can I get on backwards?” (laughing) The only time I felt good about getting on a scale was when I was pregnant. But yeah, I mean, I love pilates, you know, going for a walk as simple as a walk. But I’m making a conscious effort to get back into it. 

GLITTER: Once it’s safe to travel, where in the world is on your bucket list?
GARCELLE:  I want to go back to Italy. I fell in love with Positano. I could also go back to Jamaica, though. Negril, Jamaica is pretty awesome. So I can’t wait till we can do things. 

GLITTER: What’s next for you? 
GARCELLE:  Oh, my God, probably a rest. (laughing) I think for me, what’s next is producing more. I really want to get into that and really also taking some time off because I’ve been going nonstop and I sort of, you know, recharge. 

GLITTER: Thank you so much.
GARCELLE: Thank you. 

Coming 2 America premieres March 5 on Amazon Prime Video.